We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Christina Freeman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Christina below.
Christina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
UltraViolet Archive (2018-2024) is a nomadic collection of endangered creative works—including films, graphic novels, music, literature, visual and performing arts—that were banned, challenged, or physically threatened. The installation includes a neon sign, bookshelves, film screening room, computer station, and a seating area for the public to spend time with the collection. Visitors are invited to conduct research using the reference materials provided and recommend additional works to expand the archive.
I expanded on the project by interviewing experts on censorship. The interviews can be found here:
https://www.culturepush.org/issue-7
Christina, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Christina Freeman (she/her) is an artist and curator based in New York City.
Her participatory installation, UltraViolet Archive was exhibited in the Queens International 2018: Volumes (Queens Museum), with mentions in Artforum and Vulture. This nomadic project was also featured in the Creative Time Summit X at Cooper Union in 2019, on Governor’s Island in 2022 and at NARS Foundation in 2024.
So far in 2024 Freeman presented an installation of cyanotypes in Bronx Calling: The Sixth AIM Biennial at The Bronx Museum of the Arts and was also a Resident Artist at NARS Foundation in Brooklyn.
She was previously an artist-in-residence at ARoS Public (Aros, Denmark 2018), Flux Factory (Queens 2016-2018), Heliopolis (Brooklyn 2014), SOMA (Mexico City 2012), and Galería Pérdida (Michoacán 2012).
Freeman’s projects have received support from The Bronx Museum of the Arts (2022-2024), ABC No Rio (2017-2023), The Trust for Governors Island (2022), Creative Time (2019), Queens Museum (2018-2019), Culture Push (2018-2019), National Coalition Against Censorship (2018-2019), Danish Arts Foundation (2018), NEA (2017 + 2018), New York State Council on Arts (2017-2020), New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (2017-2020), and Andy Warhol Foundation (2017).
Freeman teaches at Hunter College, CUNY for the Department of Art & Art History and the Department of Film & Media. She is the 2023-2024 Arts Curator for a partnership with The Urban Field Station Collaborative Arts Program and The Nature of Cities.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Artists need unrestricted funding to create work. Our current system in the United States relies heavily on a commercial gallery system and philanthropy to museums that influences the content and circulation of work. Artistic freedom can only be fully achieved when artists are free from the control of such material limitations.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
As an artist and curator, I have built an incredible community over the last 20 years. I have learned so much from the people around me and the collaborations that I have been part of. Artists think in unique ways and it is always a privilege to have access to their thought processes.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://christinafreeman.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freeman_christina/
Image Credits
Jessica Miller Jeremy Haik Argenis Apolinario and The Bronx Museum Andrew Schwartz Hai Zhang